Winter Wonderland, Paul Carrack & the SWR Big Band (Carrack/Universal UK)

Paul Carrack is one of those well-loved rock 'n roll journeymen performers, first heard singing and writing the band Ace's hit "How Long" back in 1974, then taking lead vocals on Squeeze's "Tempted" from 1981 before hooking up with Mike and the Mechanics on the way to going solo. In between, he played with such disparate acts as Roxy Music and Nick Lowe, the latter underappreciated hitmaker producing Paul's first solo album Suburban Voodoo and its hit single "I Need You." With such a storied rock history, it saddens me to report that Paul went all Rod Stewart-"American Songbook" on his first Christmas CD, so far released only in Europe in 2005. A perfectly predictable array of standard holiday pop songs, plus the Louis Armstrong "What a Wonderful World" and a reprise of Carrack's 1997 solo hit "Beautiful World," the latter as close to rock as things get here, is what you receive for your euro here, all played in pop orchestra ballad/swing arrangements. If Sinatra, Bennett, Goulet, or for that matter Michael Buble are who float your boat at Christmas, you'll be right at home here; Mistletunes regulars, I predict, will be disappointed.